


Wooden Floors

by Eeriecloud



Category: Hustle Cat
Genre: Canon Compliant, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Past Memories, dysfunctional family mentioned, graves would make a good father, platonic comfort, self-projection, this hasn't been edited too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-09-21 16:21:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9556976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eeriecloud/pseuds/Eeriecloud
Summary: "To most, this of course was a simple mistake that could be easily taken care of. Not to Hayes, to Hayes, this was the calm before the storm. This was the time to make a strategy with plans A, B, C, and all the way to Z just in case just one of the plans failed and he needs to quickly pick himself back up. This was the time he remembered all of his past mistakes."





	

**Author's Note:**

> I sure do love self-projecting on characters to relate to!  
> Anything that has to do with shipping down in the comments will be deleted.

Hayes had scratched up the wooden floor of the cafe. It was a small scratch that few would notice, but to those who inspect the cafe grounds with careful precision it would stand out like a sore thumb. Hayes didn’t mean for it to happen, he was just sweeping the upstairs near the cake display when he got distracted and accidentally brush the broom a little too harshly. Now his heart was pumping and adrenaline started to kick in.

 

To most, this of course was a simple mistake that could be easily taken care of. Not to Hayes, to Hayes, this was the calm before the storm. This was the time to make a strategy with plans A, B, C, and all the way to Z just in case just one of the plans failed and he needs to quickly pick himself back up. This was the time he remembered all of his past mistakes.

 

Hayes remembered living with his parents, just a teenager at the time. He remembered the one time he spilled water all over the wooden floors. He couldn’t help but froze, it was like his brain just stopped functioning. The huff of annoyance from his father rang in his years as he didn’t act quickly to clean it up as if reacting with shock was a bad thing. It wasn’t until his mother told him to get the towels to clean up the spill that his brain started to function a plan to get out of there as fast as possible. After cleaning it up, he ran upstairs and hid. Moments later his parents were yelling loudly at each other. 

 

His father kept telling him, again and again, to not damage the wooden floors, often raising his voice when he told him this. The reminder only seemed to get louder and louder every time he made the mistake of damaging the wooden floor. First, his sister made a scratched on the floor, she got yelled at for it. When he himself scratched the floor from using a vacuum, he quickly finished up his chores and ran upstairs to his room to hide. For the rest of the night, he stayed up there, only to leave to retrieve dinner. 

 

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he flinched. Hayes eyes adjusted back into reality and standing in front of him was Graves. Even with his boss’ eyes full of great concern, he still tensed up enough to make it seemed that was going to snap the broom in half. Graves seeing this, he quickly removed his hand off of Hayes’ shoulder. 

 

“My apologies, I forgot that you do not like it when other persons make physical contact. Can you forgive me?” 

 

Hayes pressed his mouth into a thin line and quickly nodded. He wished that he could turn invisible so he could avoid this situation altogether. Graves gave a breath, but it wasn’t like the one of his father’s. If breaths had tones, this one was more calming. As if it was saying “I promise I’m not a threat”. That still didn’t stop Hayes having a million thoughts of ‘what ifs’ pass through his mind. 

 

The next time Graves spoke his voice was much softer, “Now, may I ask what causing you such inner strife?”

 

“O-oh I-I,” Hayes’ mouth went dry, he took a gulp. He was caught in the act, no use lying.

 

“I scratched the floors…”

 

“...scratched the floors?”

 

Hayes nodded, glancing quickly of the small scratch on the floor and back onto Graves’ face. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep maintaining eye contact. A few seconds passed between them, then Graves gave him a soft smile.

 

“Oh well, that can be easily fixed within the day.”

 

Hayes stared up at him, “...you’re not mad?”

 

Graves gave a chuckle, more to himself than to what Hayes had said, “Why would I be? There is no reason for me to be peeved at small difficulties in this life.”

 

“Promise you’re not mad?” Hayes questioned it so quickly he almost instantly regretted to ask for the confirmation, but all Graves gave him was a smile.

 

“Cross my heart,” as Graves answered he used his index finger and gestured an X over his heart. Graves went to walk pass Hayes, but stopped before he passed him fully.

 

“Do you mind if pat your head?”

 

Hayes shook his head, “No, I don’t mind.”

  
A moment later, Graves gave Hayes a friendly pat on the head. 

**Author's Note:**

> Graves would be a good father to Hayes.


End file.
